The invention relates to a machine for processing printing-material sheets, which has a processing unit.
The published German Patent Document DE 4435307 A1 describes such a machine, the processing unit of which includes a printing form cylinder provided with devices for effecting circumferential and lateral register adjustment, and having a rotatable tool plate thereon. An inherent disadvantage of this machine, however, is that any correction of the oblique position of the tool plate on the form cylinder requires stopping the machine and carrying out the correction awkwardly by hand, by which assurance is provided that the cutting lines, creases, embossments, stampings or perforations which are produced in the processing unit are in-register with a printed image which is produced in a first printing unit following the processing unit.
In the publication xe2x80x9cDruck and Medienxe2x80x9d [Print and Media] magazine 2/2000, a printing machine manufactured by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG in the Speedmaster SM 52 series with a varnishing system is described, for which a lateral-register adjusting device, a circumferential-register adjusting device and a diagonal-register adjusting device are provided.
Although the register adjusting devices do, in fact, permit an absolutely in-register varnishing of the printing-material sheets, deforming or severing the printing-material sheets by appropriate processes in the varnishing system is not possible, however.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a machine for processing printing-material sheets by which absolutely in-register processing of the printing-material sheets is assured.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a printing-material sheet processing machine, comprising at least one processing unit with an impression cylinder and a tool-carrying cylinder bringable into contact with the impression cylinder, the tool-carrying cylinder having at least one tool selected from the group of tools consisting of respective deforming and separating tools for the printing-material sheets, the processing unit also having a circumferential-register adjusting device and a lateral-register adjusting device, which are assigned to the tool-carrying cylinder for adjusting the register thereof, and having a diagonal-register adjusting device assigned to a sheet transport cylinder for adjusting the register thereof, the sheet transport cylinder being disposed for transferring the printing-material sheets to the impression cylinder.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the processing machine is a machine selected from the group consisting of a printing machine and a varnishing machine of modular in-line construction.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the tool for deforming the printing-material sheets is constructed as a tool selected from the group consisting of creasing, grooving and embossing tools.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the tool for separating the printing-material sheets is constructed as a tool selected from the group consisting of cutting, stamping, scoring and perforating tools.
The printing-material sheet processing machine according to the invention thus includes at least one processing unit which has an impression cylinder and a tool-carrying cylinder. The tool-carrying cylinder can be brought into contact with the impression cylinder and brought out of contact with the latter again. In addition, the machine includes a lateral-register adjusting device assigned to the tool-carrying cylinder, a circumferential-register adjusting device likewise assigned to the tool-carrying cylinder, and a diagonal-register adjusting device. The diagonal-register adjusting device is assigned to a sheet transport cylinder, which is disposed immediately upline of the impression cylinder, as viewed in the transport direction of the printing-material sheets. On the circumference, the tool-carrying cylinder is equipped with at least one tool for deforming the printing-material sheets and/or with at least one tool for separating the printing-material sheets or with at least one tool for separating and deforming the printing-material sheets.
One advantage of the machine according to the invention is that an incorrect setting, for example a skewed position of the tool relative to the impression cylinder, can be corrected, under remote control while the machine is running, by the diagonal-register adjusting device, and is no longer required to be corrected by hand. By the diagonal-register adjusting device, the sheet transport cylinder can be adjusted into a skewed position in relation to the impression cylinder which corresponds to the skewed position of the tool, so that the printing-material sheets can be transferred skewed to the impression cylinder by the sheet transport cylinder. As a result of the skewed position of the printing-material sheets on the impression cylinder, the skewed position of the tool on the tool-carrying cylinder is compensated for, so that the processing lines or contours produced on the printing-material sheets by the tool are again absolutely in-register with reference or processing lines or printed images already located on the printing-material sheets or subsequently applied thereto.
Because the reference lines or reference printed images are preferably located on that side of the sheet whereon the tool also acts, the designations circumferential fit, lateral fit and diagonal fit adjusting device would intrinsically be more appropriate. However, in the description at hand, the designation register adjusting device, which is used in common parlance, will be used throughout for the adjusting devices.
If the tool disposed on the tool-carrying cylinder is constructed as a creasing tool, a grooving tool or an embossing tool, the tool is used for the partial deformation of the printing-material sheets. However, the tool can also be constructed as a separating tool for cutting, stamping, scoring or perforating the printing-material sheets. Of course, the tool-carrying cylinder can also carry the aforementioned tools in a multiple arrangement and in an arrangement combined with one another.
The printing-material sheet processing machine is preferably a printing or varnishing machine which, in a modular in-line construction, includes at least one printing unit and/or at least one varnishing unit in addition to the processing unit.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a machine for processing printing-material sheets, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the is invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a machine for processing printing-material sheets in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of FIG. 1 showing a processing unit thereof; and
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view, partly in section, of FIG. 2, showing a diagonal-register adjusting device of the processing unit.